Photo Property release forms and Model Release forms are often required by professional photographers to gain permission to use their subject's image (e.g., sell, publish, reproduce). These documents specify the conditions under which a subject's image may be used (e.g., financial compensation, duration of use, and images included).
Traditionally, such agreements have been described through the use of a paper-based system where the participant signs a legal release form subsequent to image capture. The photographer typically modifies the release form so that the correct terms are specified. In addition, they must catalog the release form in some way so that he/she is certain the correct release is associated with the photographed images for which permission has been granted. For situations where multiple individuals are required to grant permission for a single photographic release, the situation becomes more complicated. For these situations, the professional must ensure that signatures have been obtained for each individual and that the proper signature is associated with the proper individual within the image. Further, depending on the circumstances in which the photographer is operating, performing these secondary (image and paper management) tasks may distract the photographer from performing their primary task of capturing the currently evolving scene.
There is a need, therefore, for an improved system for managing the largely paper-based method of secondary (e.g., photo release) document management noted above.